Bear
05-26-2009, 11:36 AM
Inside Pitch
Travis Ishikawa(notes) raised his average from .219 to .250 in one game Monday thanks to the first four-hit game of his career.
The first hit was small, a popup that fell on the infield when two Braves collided.
The last hit was gigantic, his first homer of the season, a three-run shot in the seventh that stamped an exclamation point on the Giants’ 8-2 victory.
Did Ishikawa feel the heat?
Jesus Guzman(notes) has been on the team a few days, and he was in manager Bruce Bochy’s original lineup. Then, two hours before the game, Bochy changed his mind and inserted Ishikawa.
With GM Brian Sabean trying to trade for a hitter, Ishikawa knew he’d have to elevate his game.
“I guess to an extent, I’ve got to continue to show them I deserve that spot,” Ishikawa said.
Gee do you really think they think they want to see that? What a dumb shit. This is the real problem. These guys have no clue.:mad:
He hit his first homer in his 100th at-bat. In spring training, he led the team with seven homers. The Giants were the last team in the majors to have one of their first basemen hit a homer. Rich Aurilia(notes) has zero.
Giants 8, Braves 2: The Giants, coming off a trip in which they went 1-5 with all of the losses by one run, broke through for one of their biggest games of the year. Travis Ishikawa had four of the 13 hits, and Edgar Renteria(notes) and Randy Winn(notes) had two apiece. Jonathan Sanchez(notes) got his second win of the year.
Notes, Quotes
• LF Fred Lewis(notes), who homered both Saturday and Sunday, scored another way Monday, tagging from third on shallow fly to center by 3B Juan Uribe(notes). He was safe on a close play, beating CF Jordan Schafer’s(notes) throw by sliding away from C Brian McCann’s(notes) tag and touching the plate with his hand. The hustle earned a roar from the San Francisco crowd of 40,034.
• LHP Barry Zito(notes) had his worst start since April 16 on Sunday and fell to 1-5. He was coming off his first complete game since 2003, but he gave up five runs in 6 1/3 innings and melted down in the fifth. The Giants scraped out three runs in the top of the inning only to have Zito give up a three-run homer to 3B Adrian Beltre(notes) in the bottom half. Zito also gave up a two-run homer to Ken Griffey Jr.(notes) in the first inning.
By The Numbers: 185—Consecutive starts in which Barry Zito did not throw a complete game, a streak broken with his eight-inning complete game in San Diego. Ex-Giant Kirk Rueter has the big-league record, failing to complete any of his final 193 starts.
Quote To Note: “I’m not going to be perfect. Obviously, I’ve got to do a better job closing games out.”—closer Brian Wilson(notes), who had a 9.53 ERA, three losses and a blown save over six outings.
Roster Report
• 3B Pablo Sandoval(notes) has a strained muscle in his right elbow, according to an MRI. He’s not expected to return to the lineup until the weekend, manager Bruce Bochy said. It’s possible Sandoval will work himself back into the lineup as a first baseman, to take pressure off his throwing arm.
• LHP Jonathan Sanchez won his first game since April 17. He struck out all three batters in the first inning and had six K’s in five-plus innings. He entered the game with little offensive support, an average of 1.7 runs per game. That would have been the lowest in the NL if Sanchez had enough innings to qualify in this particular statistical category.
• INF Juan Uribe, hitting .286, is playing third base in injured Pablo Sandoval’s absence. Before this year, Uribe played just 84 games at third, including 27 in 2004 and 57 in 2008. This year, he has played third more than any other position: eight starts at third, five at short and one at second. He has appeared in 21 of the Giants’ last 32 games, including 12 starts.
• RHP Tim Lincecum(notes) will make his 10th start Tuesday against the Braves. His last three starts have ended with no-decisions. In that stretch, his ERA was 4.26. His last win was May 5 at Chicago. Will the skid end against Atlanta? Against the Braves in his career, he’s 4-0 with a 2.70 ERA in four starts. In two starts last year, he gave up three earned runs in 15 2/3 innings.
Medical Watch:
3B/C Pablo Sandoval (strained muscle in right elbow) left the May 23 game and didn’t play May 24 or 25. He’s not expected to return until the weekend.
OF Andres Torres(notes) (strained left hamstring) went on the 15-day disabled list April 28. He began a rehab assignment with Class A San Jose on May 15.
RHP Joe Martinez(notes) (concussion, hairline fractures in skull) went on the 15-day disabled list April 10, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on May 21. He played catch May 19 for the first time since getting hurt.
RHP Sergio Romo(notes) (sprained right elbow) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 27. He was pitching in extended spring training in early May, and he began a rehab assignment with Class A San Jose on May 14.
LHP Noah Lowry(notes) (left forearm surgery in March 2008, left elbow surgery in September 2008) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 27, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on May 24. He had surgery May 19 to remove a rib, and he is likely out for the season.
Forget Lowry for 2009. He is done for the year and most likely done with the Giants forever! :(
Travis Ishikawa(notes) raised his average from .219 to .250 in one game Monday thanks to the first four-hit game of his career.
The first hit was small, a popup that fell on the infield when two Braves collided.
The last hit was gigantic, his first homer of the season, a three-run shot in the seventh that stamped an exclamation point on the Giants’ 8-2 victory.
Did Ishikawa feel the heat?
Jesus Guzman(notes) has been on the team a few days, and he was in manager Bruce Bochy’s original lineup. Then, two hours before the game, Bochy changed his mind and inserted Ishikawa.
With GM Brian Sabean trying to trade for a hitter, Ishikawa knew he’d have to elevate his game.
“I guess to an extent, I’ve got to continue to show them I deserve that spot,” Ishikawa said.
Gee do you really think they think they want to see that? What a dumb shit. This is the real problem. These guys have no clue.:mad:
He hit his first homer in his 100th at-bat. In spring training, he led the team with seven homers. The Giants were the last team in the majors to have one of their first basemen hit a homer. Rich Aurilia(notes) has zero.
Giants 8, Braves 2: The Giants, coming off a trip in which they went 1-5 with all of the losses by one run, broke through for one of their biggest games of the year. Travis Ishikawa had four of the 13 hits, and Edgar Renteria(notes) and Randy Winn(notes) had two apiece. Jonathan Sanchez(notes) got his second win of the year.
Notes, Quotes
• LF Fred Lewis(notes), who homered both Saturday and Sunday, scored another way Monday, tagging from third on shallow fly to center by 3B Juan Uribe(notes). He was safe on a close play, beating CF Jordan Schafer’s(notes) throw by sliding away from C Brian McCann’s(notes) tag and touching the plate with his hand. The hustle earned a roar from the San Francisco crowd of 40,034.
• LHP Barry Zito(notes) had his worst start since April 16 on Sunday and fell to 1-5. He was coming off his first complete game since 2003, but he gave up five runs in 6 1/3 innings and melted down in the fifth. The Giants scraped out three runs in the top of the inning only to have Zito give up a three-run homer to 3B Adrian Beltre(notes) in the bottom half. Zito also gave up a two-run homer to Ken Griffey Jr.(notes) in the first inning.
By The Numbers: 185—Consecutive starts in which Barry Zito did not throw a complete game, a streak broken with his eight-inning complete game in San Diego. Ex-Giant Kirk Rueter has the big-league record, failing to complete any of his final 193 starts.
Quote To Note: “I’m not going to be perfect. Obviously, I’ve got to do a better job closing games out.”—closer Brian Wilson(notes), who had a 9.53 ERA, three losses and a blown save over six outings.
Roster Report
• 3B Pablo Sandoval(notes) has a strained muscle in his right elbow, according to an MRI. He’s not expected to return to the lineup until the weekend, manager Bruce Bochy said. It’s possible Sandoval will work himself back into the lineup as a first baseman, to take pressure off his throwing arm.
• LHP Jonathan Sanchez won his first game since April 17. He struck out all three batters in the first inning and had six K’s in five-plus innings. He entered the game with little offensive support, an average of 1.7 runs per game. That would have been the lowest in the NL if Sanchez had enough innings to qualify in this particular statistical category.
• INF Juan Uribe, hitting .286, is playing third base in injured Pablo Sandoval’s absence. Before this year, Uribe played just 84 games at third, including 27 in 2004 and 57 in 2008. This year, he has played third more than any other position: eight starts at third, five at short and one at second. He has appeared in 21 of the Giants’ last 32 games, including 12 starts.
• RHP Tim Lincecum(notes) will make his 10th start Tuesday against the Braves. His last three starts have ended with no-decisions. In that stretch, his ERA was 4.26. His last win was May 5 at Chicago. Will the skid end against Atlanta? Against the Braves in his career, he’s 4-0 with a 2.70 ERA in four starts. In two starts last year, he gave up three earned runs in 15 2/3 innings.
Medical Watch:
3B/C Pablo Sandoval (strained muscle in right elbow) left the May 23 game and didn’t play May 24 or 25. He’s not expected to return until the weekend.
OF Andres Torres(notes) (strained left hamstring) went on the 15-day disabled list April 28. He began a rehab assignment with Class A San Jose on May 15.
RHP Joe Martinez(notes) (concussion, hairline fractures in skull) went on the 15-day disabled list April 10, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on May 21. He played catch May 19 for the first time since getting hurt.
RHP Sergio Romo(notes) (sprained right elbow) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 27. He was pitching in extended spring training in early May, and he began a rehab assignment with Class A San Jose on May 14.
LHP Noah Lowry(notes) (left forearm surgery in March 2008, left elbow surgery in September 2008) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 27, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on May 24. He had surgery May 19 to remove a rib, and he is likely out for the season.
Forget Lowry for 2009. He is done for the year and most likely done with the Giants forever! :(